This invention relates to a device designed to be used by a bow hunter who hunts on the ground. It may likewise be used by other hunters and fishermen. It is a combination backpack and stool with a seat member disposed on a central column, at least one strap member for carrying, and a container. In a preferred form, it is lightweight, portable and provides a variable height seat that may be removably anchored in the ground.
Alternative technology is available in the form of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,248,367; 5,303,975; 4,773,574; 5,499,760; and 4,387,924 all of which relate to combination backpacks which require reconfiguration to form a seat. None of these are the single column design. Moreover, these designs require a reconfiguration to establish a seating arrangement, which is not required by the instant invention.
Two other patents require very little reconfiguration. These are U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,301 issued to Biedenharn, Jr. in 1995 for a combination backpack and stool which basically contains a peripheral framing arrangement having a fabric covering and a backpack disposed therein, and further providing a flexible top shelf which may be used as a seat. The other patent requiring no substantial reconfiguration to provide a seat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,213 issued to Watt in 1995 for a storage container with carrying straps which has adjustable legs on the bottom portion and a cushion disposed on the top to serve as a seat.
Reference should also be made to U.S. Design patent application Ser. No. 29/042,579, filed Aug. 14, 1995 now abandoned by the applicant herein, which reveals an early design of a bow stalker chair which is distinguishable from the invention claimed herein.
Some of the drawbacks to these designs are that each teaches a substantially more complicated structure to accomplish the objective of combining a seating means with a backpack. Moreover, none of the foregoing inventions is designed to be anchored to the ground as is the device of the present invention. Another disadvantage to the foregoing devices is that they provide for bulky, and thus heavy, frames which can easily fatigue a hunter.
To alleviate this problem, and others which will become apparent from the disclosure which follows, the present invention conveniently provides an adjustable height seat atop a lightweight single column support system and means to anchor the column to eliminate lateral movement and to maintain the position of the device when the user stands to shoot.
The citation of the foregoing publications is not an admission that any particular publication constitutes prior art, or that any publication alone or in conjunction with others, renders unpatentable any pending claim of the present application. None of the cited publications is believed to detract from the patentability of the claimed invention.